Frederick d



(No Model.)

Ff D. EARLL. METHOD 0E MARKING LETTEESITO INDICATE IEAITEEI E AVE. EEEN coIIED.

No. 458,225. Patented Aug. 25,1891.

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FREDERICK D. EARLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO I JOHN F. TVOLLENSAK, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD F MARKING LETTERS TO INDICATE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN COPIED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 458,225, dated August 25, 1891.

Application led May 5, 1891l Serial No. 391,614. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK D. EARLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a newr and useful Method of Marking Letters to Indicate that they have been Copied, of which the following is a specification.

After a letter, bill, or other matter has been copied into a book or upon a paper it is often 1o desirable to tell from a mere inspection of the article itself whether or not it has been copied, and with the present method of copying it has frequently been the custom to use suflicient moisture to cause the ink in which the letter r 5 or other article is printed or written to run, thereby blurring the letter slightly. If not enough moisture is used,it will be impossible to tell by the appearance whether the letter has been copied or not, and if too much the zo consequent running will blur the letter in such a way as to render both it and the copy illegible to a greater or less extent. Experience shows that unless all of the conditions in the process of copying are kept uniform a letter or other article will not show upon its face whether it has been copied or not, thus necessitating a reference to the book, which is troublesome and takes time. These conditions depend upon the amount of moisture, quality of the ink, time the letter remains in the press, and kind of paper used, and it is consequently difficult, if not impossible, to keep them uniform. Some method has therefore been desired in which while the letter is being copied it shall be marked or branded in such a way as to indicate upon inspection that it has been copied, no matter what the amount of moisture used in so doing. This method it is the object of my invention to provide.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a copying or impression book properly constructed for carrying ont my method; and Fig. 2 is a plan lview of a letter, showing the mark or brand which it has received While being copied.

In carrying out my invention I use a thread, string, band, or strip, preferably of fibrous material and adapted to fade or lose its color upon the application of moisture. Thisthread or strip may be of any suitable dimensions, and is adapted to be placed between the leaf upon which the copy is to be made and the letter or other article which is to be copied.

These strips may be bound in with the book,

as shown in Fig. l, or they may be made separate therefrom, as desired.

The method of branding letters Which I have invented is as follows: The moistened cloth, rubber, blotting-paper, or other mate- 6c rialused for` the purpose is iirstplaced in a book, and is designated in the drawings by the letter A. One leaf of the book B is then laid over the moistened material. IA thread, band, or strip C is laid across the surface of this sheet, and the letter D then laid face downward upon theleaf, as shown. The book is then closed and placed in the press for a sufficient length of time to copy the letter. Upon removing the letter it will be found that 7c the moisture has caused a portion of the color of the strip to be transferred to the face of the letter, making a mark on such face corresponding to the length or thickness of the thread or strip, as shown in Fig. 2. The letter thus marked or branded shows immediately that it has been copied, thus avoiding the necessity of referring to the letter-book or using sufficient moisture to cause the ink to run. The mark left by the strip is prefer- 8c ably so small as to obscure practically none of the printing or writing on the letter.

While I have shown the strip as bound into the book and as making a mark extending diagonally from one corner of the letter to the 8 5 other, it can of course be boundv in with the book at any other point and extend entirely or partly across the letter in any other direction, or, as above stated, may be made sepa'- rate from the book and used in the same man- 9o ner. The form, dimensions, material, and color of the thread or strip used to brand the letter may be varied as desired without departing from the gist of my invention, which consists in interposing a thread or strip between the letter and the surface upon which it is to be copied, whereby when the letter is copied a mark or brand is made upon it, indicating that such letter has been copied.

Although I have spoken of the thread as roo being interposed between the leaf or impression-paper npon which the copy is to be made and the letter or other article to be copied, it will be obvious that the same result may be accomplished, though less perfectly, by placing a thread between the leaf and moistened blotter, and I contemplate so using it, and although I have in the claims called my invention a method of markingletters, it will be understood that I use the word letters merely for the sake of brevity, and that the claims and invention extend equally to the copying of drafts, orders, bills, or any other article capable of being copied.

I claiml. The method of marking letters, &c., which consists in interposing a thread or strip of suitable material between the letter and the surface upon which it is to be copied, whereby the letter will be marked or branded,

sition as to brand or mark the letter, substan- 35 tially as described.

FREDERICK D. EARLL. Vitnesses;

J. F. WoLLENsAK, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN. 

